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5 thoughts on “Menen – Ian Dean”

Alexandra Mayersays:

Hello! I really admire this site and would love to be a part of it. I am a 20 year old with a passion for poetry. I read on “Internships.com, a Chegg service” that you are looking for people to post creative writing weekly? I am very interested in doing so. I am obviously, more than willing to submit some work so that you may evaluate my writing. Thanks!
Alex (:

Oh no! I thought I replied to the site entirely, not to this poem specifically! I feel so disrespectful.

Regarding Menen, I really love the lines:
“I wish to hear your native tongue
Which I have been told is nothing more than
What can be found, and has been, here”

At first, these lines spoke to my fear of the banal and the idea of an unoriginal identity. However, as I continued to read, the words took on new meaning. They appeared, to me, almost as an appreciation for history and for the culture and ancestry that helps create us.

I’m very intrigued by this poem. It’s almost as if I get a glimpse not only into a personal love story, but also into a historical context and the myriad of stories which surround said context. I’d love to hear more about the inspiration behind this poem and your writing process!

The inspiration from the poem originated with a football game I went to in the spring , and at this particular game I saw a girl, who of course was ethnic by most American standards, who happened to be the friend of my best friend who is also a girl. I left the game sort of early and while I was waiting for my ride I called my aforementioned friend was in the stadium. I called to detail just how wonderstruck I was of this Ethiopian girl. My friend remarked that she was very shy and often standoffish against any relationship with anyone that wasn’t and isn’t strictly platonic. I spent the two or three days studying the culture of the country and asking my friend, who is also a writer, about the complexities of the girl’s personality and anything at all that would make poem feel more natural and specific. The end product is the result of about 14 or 16 drafts, and of course I had my friend read it and she said it was spot-on description of the girl. i’m sorry if that is too descriptive or too vague, but I’m sure if you have anymore comments or questions you will ask me.